Whatever industry you are in, it is a must that you have great communication skills. No matter how good you are technically, not being a good communicator may still lead to your downfall in a job interview and this will also have a significant effect on your being successful in your career. Thus, it is crucial that you develop the right attitude and appropriate skills towards communicating with people.
If you want to get along well with your colleagues and give a positive impression to your boss, here’s what you should do to improve your communication skills:
#1 Don’t just hear what people are saying. Listen.
Many of us are terrible at listening. It often seems too hard to keep our mouths shut so we could listen to what another person is saying. Instead, we tend to interrupt, do something else, or assume that we already know what is going be said. To be a good listener, you have to be able to focus well on the speaker. Stop whatever it is you’re doing and wait for the other person to finish before you give your response.
#2 Don’t ignore non-verbal communication.
A person’s body language says a lot, and it is important that you understand what is not being said. Likewise, you should be aware of your own non-verbal communication. How you listen, look and move while the other person is talking says a lot about your thoughts and feelings about the person talking.
#3 Know what the preferred means of communication in the workplace is.
People are different even in terms of how they want to communicate with others. Some prefer emails, while others are more comfortable talking either on the phone or personally. It would be a smart move on your part to get to know your colleagues more as far as their preferred method of communicating is concerned.
#4 Always think about your tone.
One big challenge in communicating via social media or email is knowing the tone of the person sending the message. You can easily be misinterpreted as someone who is pushy and always angry. Thus, it is important to avoid using exclamation marks so the reader would not assume that you’re upset.
#5 Rephrase what you’re being told.
Saying again what your boss or coworker has said is a good sign for them that tells how you’re trying to listen and understand what’s being said to you. Plus, this is a good way for both you and the person to clarify anything that could be confusing.
Effective communication is a type of skill that you must practice continuously to improve. By being a good communicator, you give yourself a bigger chance of becoming successful in your chose career path. If you have no idea how to develop such skills, working with a personal coach is highly recommended so that you can have expert guidance in acquiring and enhancing the skills necessary to communicate well with others in the workplace.
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